Tigerstar's Rise
by crystallineirises
Summary: Every great warrior was once a tiny, innocent kit. Tigerkit was born into a changing forest, as his father walked away from his position as Clan leader and became a soft kittypet. Growing up known as Pinestar's kit wasn't easy, especially when he discovered that he wanted to become leader more than anything... He would have to prove himself worthy of respect.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, or any of the characters in this story. All is owned by Erin Hunter.

He was sleepy, so sleepy, and all he wanted to do was sleep forever.

His mother was curled up around him and his sisters, and now Tigerkit felt strong enough to nurse. Milk tasted wonderful. He wondered why his sisters didn't nurse much, even though their mother tried to get them to.

He felt a tongue licking his ears, and his mother whispered to him. "Tigerkit, open your eyes. You can do it."

_But I don't want to_, he thought. The dark made him feel safe.

"Please, little one," she said. She sounded tired and sad. Was she sad because he didn't want to open his eyes?

Tigerkit opened them. Everything was blurry for a moment, but gradually settled into recognizable shapes. He turned his head and looked at his mother for the first time. She was a black she-cat with green eyes, and she looked down at him as he looked up at her. Her eyes widened and she let out a short purr.

"Oh, Tigerkit! You've opened your eyes!" she said softly. She gave him another lick on the top of his head. "I'm your mother, Leopardfoot."

"What are their names?" Tigerkit asked, pointing a paw at his sisters. They were even smaller than he was.

"The gray one is Mistkit and the black one is Nightkit."

The ferns rustled, and then a tabby-and-white she-cat padded into the den with a bird in her jaws. She dropped it at Leopardfoot's nest and exclaimed, "Oh! He's opened his eyes! Hello, Tigerkit."

Tigerkit tipped his head to one side. "Who are you?"

"I'm Swiftbreeze," the she-cat said. She sniffed him, and Tigerkit wanted to duck away from her. He didn't need to be checked over! He had opened his eyes, like a big kit!

"Swiftbreeze is my mother, so she's your kin," Leopardfoot explained. "Adderfang and Patchpelt are also your kin."

"The others haven't opened their eyes yet, have they?" Swiftbreeze murmured softly, sniffing the smaller kits.

"They'll make it," Leopardfoot meowed firmly. "They have to."

Swiftbreeze said nothing for a moment, and then she flicked her tail at the bird she'd dropped. "You should eat, dear. You need to be strong for your kits."

Leopardfood extended a claw and dragged the bird toward her.

"What's that?" Tigerkit asked.

"It's a blackbird," Swiftbreeze meowed.

"Where did it come from?"

"The hunting patrol caught it."

"What's that?"

"It's a group of warriors and apprentices who go out and catch food for the Clan."

"What's a warrior?"

"So many questions," Leopardfoot commented between bites of prey.

"You must be tired," Swiftbreeze said with a purr. "Why don't you sleep a little? I'll watch the kits."

"I'm hungry!" Tigerkit announced.

"Such a demanding little one, aren't you?" Leopardfoot purred. She lay down and let Tigerkit nurse.

As he fed, Tigerkit listened to his mother and grandmother talk. "Pinestar just returned from hunting," Swiftbreeze said quietly.

There was a strange note in Swiftbreeze's tone that Tigerkit couldn't understand. Was Swiftbreeze upset?

"I hope he comes to see the kits soon," Leopardfoot meowed. "He's been so busy."

"Who's Pinestar?" Tigerkit asked.

"He's your father," Leopardfoot meowed. "He's the leader of our Clan – we're members of ThunderClan. He has many responsibilities."

"So he's really important," Tigerkit said happily. "Awesome! The leader is my father!"

Swiftbreeze flattened her ears. "I'm going to fetch something from the fresh-kill pile. You'd better finish that fresh-kill."

Leopardfoot nodded and sniffed at Mistkit and Nightkit. "I wish they'd open their eyes too."

"I'm sure they will," Swiftbreeze said softly,

There was a yowl from outside the nursery, but Tigerkit couldn't make out all the words. Leopardfoot and Swiftbreeze both pricked their ears.

"I'd better go," Swiftbreeze said quickly, and she left the nursery.

"What's going on?" Tigerkit asked.

"It sounds like it's Thistlepaw's warrior ceremony," Leopardfoot said after listening for a moment. She leaned forward and gave Mistkit and Nightkit gentle licks on the head.

_A warrior! I'm going to be a warrior too!_

"Mother," Tigerkit mewed, "What happens if they don't wake up?"

"Hush, Tigerkit," Leopardfoot whispered. "Just nurse for a while and grow big and strong."

Tigerkit obeyed.

Swiftbreeze soon returned to give Leopardfoot a blackbird, and then they were alone again for a while. Tigerkit was bored. There wasn't anything to do but nurse! But eventually he grew sleepy and closed his eyes once more.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**Stuffed Watermelon: Thanks for the review! :-) Yes, Swiftbreeze really is Leopardfoot's mother. She had Leopardfoot, Patchpelt in one litter, and Redtail, Willowpelt, and Spottedleaf in her second, all fathered by Adderfang!**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

A frantic yowling outside the nursery woke Tigerkit.

His mother was asleep and in the next nest so was Swiftbreeze, and his sisters still hadn't opened their eyes, so Tigerkit slipped out of the nest and padded unsteadily to the nursery entrance. He peered out and saw many cats in the clearing. They milled around in fear and confusion. Some of them darted under bushes- more dens?

He padded out and sat at the edge of the clearing. He couldn't suppress a tiny mew of excitement. He was out of the nursery!

But he'd been heard. A few cats glanced over at him, and then a big ginger tom walked up to him. "Hey, there! Are you Tigerkit?"

Tigerkit glanced at him, but he couldn't quit staring at the vast number of cats in the clearing. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Sweetpaw's dead," the tom said somberly.

Tigerkit tipped his head to the side. "Was she a warrior?"

"Tigerkit!" Swiftbreeze pushed her way out of the nursery and hurried up to him. "What are you doing out here?"

"I wanted to know why everyone was awake," Tigerkit answered.

Swiftbreeze licked him on the head. "I can see you're going to be the inquisitive one," she said. Then she looked at the ginger tom and added, "He was the weakest of the litter, and now he's the strongest."

"I was never the weakest," Tigerkit protested. _Weak! I'm not weak! I'm going to be a warrior!_

"Of course not, little one," Swiftbreeze said, and she picked him up by his scruff and padded back to the nursery. Tigerkit waved his paws in the air in frustration. He didn't want to go back to the nursery! Things were happening in the clearing!

Leopardfoot stirred as Swiftbreeze set him back in the nest. "What's going on?" she murmured.

"Sweetpaw's dead," Swiftbreeze said softly. "Tigerkit got out into the clearing."

Leopardfoot opened her eyes and looked at Tigerkit. "It's not even sunrise, little one. You can't leave the nursery without my permission."

"I was only wondering what everyone was doing awake," Tigerkit muttered.

Swiftbreeze sighed. "I'm going to go sit with Sweetpaw."

"But she's dead," Tigerkit meowed.

"When a Clan member dies, we sit vigil for them as they go to StarClan," Leopardfoot explained.

"Oh." Tigerkit pondered that for a moment. "What's StarClan?"

Leopardfoot sighed. "You go on," she said to Swiftbreeze. "I've got some explaining to do."

Swiftbreeze left the den, and a heartbeat later Tigerkit heard a squeak from one of his sisters. He turned and noticed that Nightkit had finally opened her eyes. They were green.

"Oh, Nightkit!" Leopardfoot murmured, and she groomed her gently.

It wasn't long after sunrise when Tigerkit heard more commotion in the clearing. Leopardfoot paused in her story about the four Clans and pricked her ears. "The patrol battled RiverClan," she murmured.

"Did we win?" Tigerkit asked eagerly.

"I think so." Leopardfoot got up from her nest and padded to the nursery entrance. Tigerkit scampered after her and peered outside.

The cats that had been to the battle had come back injured. Tigerkit saw one of the medicine cats, Featherwhisker, padding around the clearing, treating cats for injuries and sending some to the medicine den. Then Tigerkit saw his father walk into the camp.

"Pinestar!" the ginger tom from earlier meowed, and every cat in the clearing turned to look at the Clan leader. "Where were you, Pinestar?" There was an accusatory edge to his mew, and Tigerkit bristled. Who was he to challenge ThunderClan's leader?

"Did you win?" Pinestar asked, ignoring the question.

The ginger tom nodded. "We chased those fish-faces back as far as the river. They still have Sunningrocks – that is a battle for another day – but they won't set foot across the border for a while."

A blue-gray tom growled.

"Good," Pinestar said. He crossed the clearing and jumped onto a rock that overlooked the camp. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather to hear what I have to tell you!"

Leopardfoot nudged Mistkit and Nightkit to their paws. Mistkit had opened her eyes shortly after Nightkit had, but both she-cats were still weak and clumsy. Leopardfoot led them to the edge of the clearing, where they sat out of the way of the warriors. Tigerkit was out of the nursery for the second time! He watched everything with wide eyes.

Pinestar stared down at the Clan for a moment, and Tigerkit sat up straight when Pinestar's gaze passed over him.

"Cats of ThunderClan," Pinestar meowed solemnly, "I can no longer be your leader. From now on, I will leave the Clan and live with housefolk in Twolegplace."

"What?" Leopardfoot whispered.

"You're going to be a _kittypet_?" the blue-gray tom snarled.

"Why?" the big ginger tom asked.

"How could you?" a dark red she-cat yowled. She stood beside the body of Sweetpaw. Her pelt was tangled and matted and her eyes were filled with grief. Tigerkit assumed she was Sweetpaw's mother.

"What's a kittypet?" Tigerkit whispered to his mother. She didn't seem to hear him.

Pinestar bowed his head. "I have been honored to serve you this long. The rest of my life will be spent as a kittypet, where I have no battles to fight, no lives depending on me for food and safety."

"_Coward_," a mottled brown tabby snarled.

Pinestar shifted his paws. "I have given eight lives to ThunderClan – each of them willingly. But I am not ready to risk my ninth."

One of the elders, Weedwhisker, called across the clearing, "What could be more honorable than to die for your Clan?"

Tigerkit didn't understand what was happening. Pinestar was leaving? But he was the Clan leader!

"You would live among StarClan," the dark red queen said sadly, "And share tongues with Clan mates you have lost."

Pinestar sighed. "I am doing this for ThunderClan, I promise."

"You're doing it for _you_," the blue-gray tom growled.

One of the apprentices – Tigerkit had seen him cleaning out their nest in the nursery, wasn't his name Lionpaw? – stepped forward. "Do we really want a leader who no longer wishes to lead?" he meowed.

"Why can't he just become an elder?" Tigerkit whispered to his mother. She still didn't seem to hear him, her shocked gaze fixed on Pinestar. Her claws dug into the ground.

While the cats exchanged glances and whispers, Pinestar padded to the side of the rock. He paused and looked back at the Clan. "Sunfall will lead you well, and StarClan will understand," he said.

"The other Clans might not," the big ginger tom meowed. "You won't be able to come back to the forest, you know."

_Wait! Pinestar can't come visit? I won't ever see him again?_

Pinestar gave an amused huff. "Oh, I can imagine the names they'll call me. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the leaders suggests an addition to the warrior code, that all true warriors scorn the easy life of a kittypet. But you'll make ThunderClan as strong as it ever was, Sunfall. My last act as leader is to entrust my Clan to you, and I do so with confidence."

The big ginger tom – Sunfall – dipped his head. "I am honored, Pinestar. I promise I will do my best."

Pinestar jumped down off the rock, and stared at the Clan for a moment. Sunfall padded up to him and laid the tip of his tail on Pinestar's flank. "You have led us well, Pinestar," he said.

The elder Larksong padded up to say goodbye. "We will miss you."

_But we're his family!_ Tigerkit wanted to yowl.

One by one, ThunderClan said goodbye to their leader. Tigerkit noticed that the blue-gray warrior and the mottled brown tabby refused to come anywhere near Pinestar.

Leopardfoot took a step forward when Pinestar turned to them. "Pinestar, what about our kits?" Tigerkit had never heard her sound so sad. "Won't you stay to watch them grow up?" She nodded her head toward Tigerkit and his sisters. Tigerkit tried to focus on the conversation, but he couldn't resist pouncing on his father's tail.

"They'll be fine with you, Leopardfoot," Pinestar meowed. "I'm not a father they could be proud of, but I will always be proud of them." Pinestar looked straight at Tigerkit. "Especially you, little warrior," he added. He bent his head and touched his muzzle to Tigerkit's ears.

Tigerkit's heart thumped loudly at his father's praise. _He's proud of me! He called me a warrior!_ He bared his teeth at Pinestar to show what a fierce warrior he could be.

"Be strong, my precious son," Pinestar murmured. "Serve your Clan well."

_I will!_

Pinestar padded out of camp.


End file.
